Find Your Nearest Cell Tower Quickly and Painlessly
Where Are The Cell Towers Near Me?
Cell phone signal boosters make the most of signals from every carrier, but how do you know what’s making your signal weak to begin with? Carriers like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular love to showcase their colorful maps of “nationwide coverage”, but how do you pinpoint the signal in your precise location? Do you know the difference between 4G, LTE and 5G? Where are the 5G towers versus the 4G ones?
Finding your nearest cell phone tower is not as difficult as you might think. Cell phone tower maps can be accessed in a myriad of ways, and SignalBoosters.com has the scoop on Verizon tower locations, AT&T tower locations, T-Mobile tower locations, and more.
Websites, apps, signal meters, and a little elbow grease can help you find a cell tower near you. We’ve tested all the options ourselves, and we’re ready to pass our wisdom on to you.
Take advantage of our system design and installation services. Learn more or call us for a free consultation: 1-800-969-8189.
Best Ways To Find A Cell Tower
1. Websites: How to Find Cell Phone Towers Near Me
Plenty of websites offer interactive cell tower maps to pinpoint the nearest cell phone tower to your current location. These are a few of our favorites.
PS: cell phone service providers update their information on a daily basis and don't provide official cell tower maps, so results may vary.
Our favorite website for locating towers in your area, Cellmapper provides the most reliable, up-to-date information for wherever you find yourself. It’s functional — but not terribly user-friendly — design does require a little experimentation to navigate, but once you orient yourself, it does provide reliable cell site locations for all major carriers.
Extra Credit: For AT&T and T-Mobile subscribers, type in ‘310’ before selecting your provider. Verizon subscribers can type ‘311’. Coupled with your zip code or address, this method should reveal the towers in your area immediately.
In truth, it doesn't actually show you the precise site of your nearest cell tower, but OpenSignal does have up-to-date coverage heatmaps for carriers in your vicinity. This site gives you more of a general idea of the strength of coverage in nearby areas.
AntennaSearch isn’t the prettiest or the easiest to navigate, but it is chock full of useful information. With a little patience and a lot of exploration, you can gain some strong insights into your local cell tower location, as well as lots of valuable information for the more technically-inclined.
CellReception includes towers and current user reviews in your area, but their data on cell towers is lacking. Some data is still better than no data, and this site works relatively well when supplemented by other methods for finding your nearest cell tower.
2. How to Find Your Cell Carrier’s Nearest Tower
Every US carrier has a website with a tower coverage map. However, nationwide carriers don’t always guarantee nationwide coverage. Each service provider falls victim to certain pockets of weakness in the US, so it’s best to do a little research for yourself online. Using your address and zip code, it’s relatively easy to sniff out the strongest service provider in your area.
AT&T's Cell Tower Map
- Search for domestic or international coverage
- Zoom in to sixteen times magnification
- Filter map data by voice, data, or prepaid coverage
- Search locations by address, postal code, country, or landmark
Verizon's Cell Tower Map
- Search locations by address, city, or postal code
- Includes an interactive map
- Zoom in to six times magnification
T-Mobile's Cell Tower Map
- Shows region and route data for up to five addresses
- Zoom in to eleven times magnification
- Search locations by address
According to your findings, you may or may not find your location “covered”. While this information is helpful, it doesn’t actually indicate the location of your nearest cell tower. Because these maps are designed as marketing tools, their areas of coverage don’t measure the strength of that coverage. So even if you find yourself under a colorful blob of “coverage”, you may still notice dropped calls, slow download speeds, and a weak signal overall. A cell tower locator app or website is still the most reliable means to finding the strongest signal.
3. Smartphone Apps to Find Your Nearest Cell Tower Location
Like the websites we’ve tried, there are also a plethora of apps designed to locate your nearest cell phone tower. Using your location, these apps can map out the closest cell phone tower — though their accuracy is hard to verify. It is, however, helpful to get a general idea of how strong your phone’s service is, according to your phone. We’ve listed a few of our favorites to help find cell phone tower locations and coverage quality:
OpenSignal (Recommended): For iPhone and Android
OpenSignal works with both crowd-sourced and FCC information, which may not work on iPhone OS. It does, however, features a heatmap that will work for both Android and iPhone operating systems. This app also features a compass that points you in the direction of your carrier’s nearest cell phone tower, as well as the "test your data speed" option that which will show you the general direction of your nearest tower.
Network Cell Info Lite: Android Only
While Network Cell Info Lite is a great application overall, it only works for Android. It shows your nearest cell tower AND its ID number, giving you a more accurate reading for dB and dBm, so you can better understand your signal strength. Like our professional installers, you can use dBm as a direct measurement of signal strength, which is far more reliable than the bars on your phone.
LTE Discovery (Recommended): Android Only
LTE Discovery is a powerful, in-depth tool that’s user-friendly enough to show the best cell service in your area — and it’s used most often by industry professionals.
weBoost: For iPhone and Android
The weBoost App is made by Wilson Electronics and works for both Android and iPhone. It uses your location along with your carrier to give you an accurate picture of your nearest cell towers. If you have a weBoost cell phone signal booster you can also use the app to install the amplifier and set it up.
Cell Antennas: For iPhone
The Cel-Antennas App isn't the most well-known nor has the best rating, but it's a fabulous app for iPhone users. It works well, doesn't have lots of pop-ups, and you don't have to buy in-app purchases. It is based on FCC data though, so it may not always be up to date.
While none of these apps can boost our signal, they can be helpful for locating the general vicinity of your nearest tower and getting an idea of the signal strength in your area.
4. Find Your Cell Tower Location Using Your Smartphone’s Antenna
How about some good old-fashioned reverse-engineering to find your phone’s nearest tower?
All cellular devices operate over radio waves, which are measured in dBm (decibel-milliwatts). The standard frequency falls between: -50 dBm to -120 dBm, with -50 dBm being the strongest, and -120 dBm the weakest (total dead zone).
The bars you see on your phone are an attempt at conveying this strength, though it’s up to your carrier to define the actual correlation. Meaning, dBm signal strength and the number of bars is somewhat arbitrary. T-Mobile's 1 bar could be equivalent to Verizon’s 3 bars, even when the dBm is identical.
Bars may be subjective, but dBm readings are not. The closer you are to -50 dB, the better your signal. The closer you are to -120 dB, say goodbye to your signal. Fortunately, your smartphone can display these dBm readings for you.
How to Access Your dBm Signal (Field Test Mode):
For iPhone Users
Please note: Apple has hidden dBm readings in iPhone field test mode since releasing iOS 11 and 12, but, depending on your iPhone chipset (Intel or Qualcomm) and your carrier (Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile), there is a potential workaround.
For iOS 15:
- Dial *3001#12345#*
- Your dBm may be visible on the dashboard’s RSRP section. If it isnt...
- Tap the three lines on the top right corner
- Tap Cell Info
- Your dBm is read as rsrp
For iOS 13 & 14:
- Dial *3001#12345#*
- Tap the three lines on the top right corner
- Tap on Serving Cell Meas.
- Your dBm is read as rsrp0 or rsrp1.
AT&T or T-Mobile iPhone with Intel chipset (iOS 11 & 12):
- Dial *3001#12345#*
- Choose LTE
- Choose Serving Cell Means
- Your dBm can be read as rsrp0
Verizon or T-Mobile iPhone with Qualcomm chipset (iOS 11 & 12):
- Dial *3001#12345#*
- Choose 1xEV-DO
- Your dBm can be read as RX AGC0
For any iPhone pre-iOS 11:
- Dial *3001#12345#*
- Swipe down the notifications bar
- Your dBm can be found in the upper left-hand corner of the screen
Incompatible carriers and chipsets won’t be able to access these options, but the second-best option is a speed test performed around your home.
For Android Users
Field test mode on Android varies by model and operating system, but is usually found under the Settings menu.
- Select Settings
- Select About Phone
- Select Status or Network
- Select SIM Status
- Your dBm can be found under Signal strength
Once you’ve found your dBm reading, explore the perimeter of your home and take note of the areas with the strongest dBm reading. This will indicate the general direction of your cell phone tower and where you can find the best reception.
5. Update your Phone to Find New Towers
Your phone will generally connect to the nearest tower, but with the construction of new towers and various adjustments, it’s possible you can do better. Tower updates vary by carrier and device, but the process itself is simple.AT&T Tower Update
Resetting your AT&T network is easy.
Options for iPhone:
1. Turn the Network Off and Back On (fastest & easiest)
Toggle the "Airplane" icon off and back on to reconnect to the network. Easy!
2. Download iPhone Carrier Update
- Connect to your Wi-Fi network (or the AT&T network), then swipe up on the screen to show the iPhone Control Center. Tap the “Wi-Fi” icon to turn it on.
- Tap the “Settings” icon on your home screen, then select the “General” option
- Tap “About” and then “Install” to install a carrier update (if an AT&T carrier update is available)
3. Restart iPhone
When all else fails: Turn it off. Turn it back on. Voila!
Options for Android:
1. Turn the Network Off and Back On (fastest & easiest)
Swipe down from the top of the screen to the Quick Settings menu. Tap “Airplane” to turn it on. Wait 10 seconds, then tap “Airplane” again to turn it off.
2. Update Android Device
You can update your carrier settings by updating to the newest version of the Android OS available for your device.
- Tap the “Settings” icon, then select “About device”.
- Select “Software Update”, then wait for your phone to search for an update.
- Tap “Install Now” to install the update on your Android device. Once the update has been downloaded and installed, your Android will be using the newest carrier settings and the newest AT&T towers.
3. Restart Android Device
For this and all electronic devices: Turn it off. Turn it back on. *Chef's kiss*
Verizon Tower Update
Updating to the latest Verizon cell towers is a snap and can be done in several ways.
Restarting your device usually causes the location memory of your phone to reset, causing it to reach out to the nearest towers. If there’s a tower that’s popped up recently, your phone will find it.
Alternatively, you can simply dial “*288” and select “2” when prompted. This will cause your phone to update to local Verizon towers, which can take up to two minutes.
A final method is to dial “*22899” and press “Send.” A musical ringtone will play, and a recorded voice will instruct you to hold while your phone is being programmed. A few seconds later, you should hear a few beeps, and “Programming Successful” will appear on your display. Your Verizon cell towers are now updated.
T-Mobile Tower Update
To update your T-Mobile towers, you can try the AT&T method above, or this alternative restart method:
- Power off your device
- Remove the SIM card
- Wait a minute
- Re-insert the SIM card and power your phone back on
- Your phone should automatically perform a T-Mobile tower update
US Cellular Tower Update
The good old-fashioned restart method (above) is best for US Cellular customers looking to update their cell tower. Either go into Airplane mode on your phone (described above), or power off, remove your SIM card, wait a minute, replace it, and power the device back on.
6. Use a Signal Meter to Find Your Cell Tower Location
While Field Test Mode (using dB) is a great way for most of us to find our strongest signal, a signal meter is by far the most accurate method, used by installers, contractors, and overachievers.
The signal meter is a handheld device that pinpoints all 4G and 3G frequencies and bands, displays signal strength in dBm, and gives accurate cell tower direction within a 45 to 90-degree radius. It is a worthwhile investment for professional telecom users.
Finding Your 5G Cell Tower
5G cell towers are not like the 4G and LTE cell towers we are familiar with.
For those living in 5G areas, you’ll know it. These mini cell towers are everywhere, with far more density than 4G towers. In fact, they’re so small that they can be placed on lighting fixtures, the tops of buildings… even underground.
Most of our tips and tricks are designed around 4G towers. To find your nearest 5G tower is a bit harder as the technology isn't very common yet. The best way is to see where your carrier has 5G signal. The more 5G bars you have, the closer you are to a tower. Keep an eye out for a grey box mounted on a lamp post. Ooklas 5G map is a great resource, as is OpenSignal, although they won't tell you the exact location of each individual 5G tower.
CellMapper has good carrier specific maps, although some are more complete than others. T-Mobile has great info, while Verizon and AT&T was less helpful. As more 5G towers are put up, and 5G technology grows, it will become easier to track where the towers are.
What Happened To The 3G Network?
All US carriers have sun-setted their 3G networks. The towers used for broadcasting it are being re-farmed for the 5G network nationwide. What this means for finding your nearest cell tower is that nothing will change. The existing infrastructure will have to be updated to reflect 5G on apps and websites, but your phone will still receive signal from them.Why Is Finding Cell Towers So Hard?
Cell carriers don't have to publicly record where their cell towers are. Most info on apps and websites comes from crowdsourcing or the FCC. because neither of these is 100% reliable, finding your nearest cell tower can be challenging. Often cell towers aren't the 200 feet monsters that you are used to and are just small boxes which blend into the environment. Small cells can deliver faster speeds, less latency, and better signal quality
How Do Cell Towers Work?
A cell phone tower (or cell site/Base Transceiver Station) is a structure that emits cellular signal as a “cell” in a network. This is accomplished through a labyrinth of transceivers, digital signal processors, control electronics, primary and backup electrical power, and GPS receivers. Basically, they’re transmitters of radio signals.
From there, each tower is different. Even if you’re staring up at a cell tower right this very moment, it might not contain the transceivers that utilize frequencies for your carrier, or maybe those transceivers are pointed away from your location.
Generally, cell towers use power to generate radio waves at a certain frequency. Your cell phone is tuned in to a specific frequency range (or band) depending on your carrier and the features you’re trying to use.
What Is The Range Of A Cell Tower?
This depends on what kind of signal they are broadcasting, and what sorts of obstructions are in the way. High frequency signals like 5G and some 4G don't travel as far as lower 4G frequencies. On average a cell tower's range is about 10 miles. Trees, buildings, and even mountains can affect this. To get good signal you need to be within 3 miles of a tower however.
5G signal distance varies quite a bit depending on what frequency it is broadcasted on.
| 5G Frequency Band | Located | Broadcasting Range |
| 5G Low-Band 600 MHz-1 GHz | Nationwide | About 10 miles but faster speeds than 4G. |
| 5G Mid-Band (Includes C-Band) 1-6 GHz | Urban and Suburban Cities | 5 - 6 miles |
| 5G High-Band Millimeter-Wave 24-47 GHz | Dense urban metro | Up to 1,500 square feet |
If you aren't close enough to a cell tower, you can use a cell signal booster to get good, strong signal.
Cell Phone Signal Boosters Help Your Weak Signal
If you've had enough of dropped calls, unsent emails, slow loading internet, and poor signal, you have two options: a landline WiFi connection or you can BOOST your signal with a cellular amplifier.
Cell phone signal boosters are powerful devices that reach out to your nearest cell tower, pull in the signal, amplify it up to 32X, and then rebroadcast that boosted signal throughout your home or office.
- Boost cellular signal for all phones & all carriers.
- Flexible solutions: 1-2 rooms up to 7,500 for homes, up to 200,000 sq ft for enterprise models.
- Better talk, text, and faster internet. Reliable connection & service.
- Complete kits, easy install, no monthly fees.
- More bars or YOUR MONEY BACK.
To improve reception in your home or office, use one of these cellular signal boosters.
Our Top Home Cell Signal Booster Kit Recommendations
Bolton Victory Yagi/Panel Cellular Signal Booster
Overview of the Bolton Victory Yagi/Panel:
- For Small to Medium Size Homes and Offices
- Covers Up to 4,000 Sq Ft
- Up to +72 dB Gain
- Up to 26 dBm Uplink Power
- Supports All Carriers Simultaneously
The Bolton Victory Yagi/Panel cellular booster is our top pick for rural areas. Under optimal conditions, it can blanket up to 4,000 sq ft with stronger cell reception, which is more than enough for most people. Featuring up to 26 dBm uplink and up to 72 dB gain, it has incredible reach and can significantly amplify your existing weak cellular signal.
Strategically paired with the Bolton Quicksilver Outdoor Yagi Antenna, it works wonders in remote locations. This antenna is designed to draw in signals from cell towers up to 5 miles away. Distance from the signal source will no longer be a problem.
While capable of boosting multiple carriers at the same time, you may only receive improved cell reception from one or two carriers. This is because the antenna is directional and needs to point at the closest cell tower that’s powered by your preferred carrier. If boosting multiple carriers is more important than coverage area, consider the Bolton Velocity Omni/Panel Cellular Signal Booster.
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Cel-Fi by Nextivity GO X
Overview of the Cel-Fi GO X:
- For Large Homes and Offices
- Covers Up to 15,000 Sq Ft
- Up to +100 dB Gain
- Amplifies One Carrier at a Time
The GO X by Nextivity is the most powerful cell phone signal booster for remote areas available. It’s designed with up to 100 dB gain, the highest on the market. This unit can seriously make all your signal woes disappear. The caveat is that it can only boost one carrier at a time. Though, through the Cel-Fi WAVE app, you’re able to switch between carriers as you need.
Super customizable, you have multiple outdoor antenna options to really maximize the amplifier's reach to your closest cell tower. You can reach cell towers located up to 5 miles away with the Quicksilver Yagi, up to 10 miles away with the Bolton Arrow LPDA, or up to 20 miles away with the Bolton Long Ranger. No matter how weak your cellular reception is, any of these configurations will keep you connected, that is unless you’re in a total dead zone.
Rated to cover up to 15,000 sq ft, it's best for large homes and small businesses. Indoor coverage will vary based on the strength of your outside signal.
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SureCall Flare 3.0
Overview of SureCall Flare 3.0:
- For Small Homes or Spot Coverage
- Covers Up to 3,000 Sq Ft
- Up to +72 dB Gain
- Up to 26 dBm Uplink
- Supports All Carriers Simultaneously
- 2-in-1 Amplifier/Indoor Antenna Combo for Ease of Installation
The SureCall Flare 3.0 cellular booster packs a signal punch for the price. It includes a Yagi antenna, which is ideal for rural areas, and a sleek amplifier. The indoor antenna is built into the amplifier, making the Flare 3.0 one of the easiest units to install yourself.
With up to 72 dB gain and 26 dBm uplink, it offers good amplification and reach to distant cell towers for a booster of its kind. While power is similar to that of the Bolton Victory, the Flare 3.0 offers less coverage and a less powerful Yagi antenna. It’s rated to cover 3,000 sq ft, but will likely only provide multi-room to spot coverage.
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Contact Us
We’re here to assist with any issues you might be experiencing with poor cell service, questions about cell towers, how to boost your cell signal, or even just to chat about cellular or WiFi. Contact us today, or call us at 1-800-470-6777.
Interested in Learning More? Check Out Our Cellular Info Hub / WiFi Info Hub
